Insert the negative in the negative carrier so the emulsion side is down when placed in the enlarger. In other words, the base of the negative (the shiny side) should be up or facing the lamp when inserted into the enlarger. Clean the negative and be sure there is no dust on it. You can use the light from the enlarger to check for dust. Blow off any dust with a bulb syringe or low-pressure air. Then, use a camel-hair brush to brush or lift off any remaining dust. Replace the negative carrier containing the negative into the enlarger; ensure it is seated properly.

Set the paper guide or masking device on the easel to form the border width needed or use a preset easel. As an aid for composing and focusing the image accurately, place a sheet of white paper in the easel-the base side of the paper is used for a focusing sheet-then turn out all white lights.

Turn the enlarger lamp on, open the lens to its maximum aperture, and move the easel around until the desired portion of the image is in the picture area Raise or lower the enlarger head on the upright standard or column and focus the image. Shift the easel as needed, and continue these adjustments until the image is enlarged (or reduced) to the desired size, focused sharply, and composed on the easel correctly.

The size of projection prints is limited by the optical system used and the working space available. A scene may be printed in sections on several sheets of paper and spliced together. Likewise, the enlarger can be turned 180 degrees and projected on the floor. If you use this baseboard method, be sure to counterweight the enlarger by placing a heavy weight on the baseboard to prevent the enlarger from tipping over.

The picture is easier to compose with the scene right-side up. When it is upside down from your point of view, the negative carrier should be rotated or removed and the negative repositioned. The image appears right-side up on the easel when it is positioned upside down in the negative carrier.

You should adjust the easel until the best composition is obtained. When composing the image, try to correct errors of image composition in the negative. The way the scene is composed on the negative may be a controlling factor in the final composition.

Straighten the horizon, and when possible, prevent it from cutting the print image in half. When the horizon is not to be included in the print, make sure vertical objects are parallel to the sides of the print. When the space around the point of interest of the picture is distracting, you can change the composition of the picture through cropping. You can do this by increasing or decreasing the magnification of the image and by readjusting the easel.

After the image is correctly composed and focused, the lens aperture should be stopped down so your basic exposure time is about 10 seconds. An exposure time of 10 seconds allows you to accomplish a normal amount of dodging and is fast enough to be practical for quantity production. The exact amount the lens should be stopped down depends on the density of the negative and the magnification of the image. This can be difficult to determine without experience. If you are new to printing, you should start by stopping down the lens to about f/5.6 or f/8 for a normal negative.